Ed's Review Dot Com

Warner Bros. Pictures, Kennedy/Marshall Company, The, Malpaso Productions

Matt Damon, Cécile De France, Frankie McLaren, George McLaren, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jay Mohr, Marthe Keller, Thierry Neuvic, Mylène Jampanoï

Hereafter is a film about death and life by director Clint Eastwood. It’s a story of 3 people in different parts of the world who are touched by death and/or the afterlife in different ways. George Lonegan (Matt Damon) is a blue collar worker who is trying to escape the ability of actually talking to the dead which gift he got after dying on the operating table as a little boy, but the notoriety it caused was ruining his life. His brother Billy (Jay Mohr) wants him back in the business as a great way to make a fortune. Marie Lelay (Cécile De France) is a French TV reporter who died in the tsunami in 2004 but came back to life bringing memories of what happened while she was out of her body that she can’t understand. She defies her boss and writes a book on the experience which causes her no end of trouble including losing her job. Two identical twins, Marcus and Jason (Frankie and George McLaren) are struggling to take care of their alcoholic mother and stay together as a family. With hope that things are going to get better Jason is suddenly killed while running an errand and Marcus is devastated. He sets off on a quest to find out what happened to his brother, he finds fake after fake and no one can really help him. In a miraculous set of circumstances the three stories collide in the climax of the story.

This film starts with one of the most unbelievable images of the 2004 Tsunami in an amazing bit of filmography. This short segment is one of the most remarkable scenes I have ever seen. After witnessing the news of the Japan Tsunami recently, watching this recreation of the previous one was very touching. Then the film turns slow, and is a very haunting look into the lives that have been touched by death in different ways. I said the movie was slow. This does not mean in the least that it’s not very interesting. It is extremely touching and heart wrenching. It does not take sides, and does not give answers. One of the things George says at a very touching part of the film when asked, “But you’ve done so many readings???” answers, “I don’t know, I’m sorry, I just don’t know”. This is how the whole thing goes. It’s reassuring if you have a belief, it can reaffirm your belief, but the movie has no definite answers. It is what it is, and it’s up to you to try to interpret what it all means. This is as it should be because it doesn’t tell you what to believe, but just tells you the stories. What you come out of it with is entirely up to you.

I enjoyed this movie very much. It was not what I expected at all. But it far exceeded what I thought I would see. Mr. Eastwood has become one hell of a director. He can put a story together in a way very few can. I highly recommend this very cerebral film about the “Hereafter”.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog